Effects of Pre-Turbocharger Turbine Water Injection on the Sustainable Performance of Spark Ignition Engine

Abstract

Water injection strategy is considered a promising technique to improve the performance of boosted engine and reduce the NOx emission via the latent heat of water vaporization. Numerous research on water injection has been conducted on in-cylinder and intake port water injection. However, the water injection focusing on the spark ignition (SI) engine exhaust system is still lacking. This study proposed a pre-turbocharger turbine water injection (PTWI) concept to reduce the turbine inlet temperature. This was done so that the stoichiometric engine operation could be achieved at a medium–high load and engine speed without resorting to a fuel enrichment strategy to reduce the exhaust gas temperature. This study aims to investigate the effect of injecting water into the exhaust gas at the pre-turbine of a turbocharged spark ignition engine. This study experimented on a 1.3-L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine to collect engine data for computational fluid dynamics (CFD) baseline model validation. A one-dimensional engine model was then developed based on the 1.6-L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine experiment using AVL BOOST software. The CFD model was used to investigate the effects of water injection pressure, pipe diameter, and water injector location. The CFD results showed that a 50 mm connecting pipe with 4 bar of injection pressure gives the largest reduction in exhaust temperature. The CFD results were then applied to the one-dimensional engine model. The engine model simulation results showed that the fuel consumption could be reduced up to 13% at 4000 rpm during wide-open throttle and 75% engine load. The PTWI is a new approach, but this study has proved the potential of using water injection at the pre-turbine turbocharger to reduce the fuel consumption of a turbocharged SI engine.

The Effect of Friction Stir Weld (FSW) Process Parameters on Tensile Strength, Macro Structure, and Hardness in Results of AA7075 Butt Joints

“…Response Surface Methodology (RSM) is a statistical method akin to a mathematical method employed to address multivariate problems using quantitative data derived from research outcomes [8]. In RSM, the input variables are sometimes called independent variables, while the resulting output is termed the response function [9].…”

Production of Microbial Lipids by Saitozyma podzolica Zwy2-3 Using Corn Straw Hydrolysate, the Analysis of Lipid Composition, and the Prediction of Biodiesel Properties

“…Nevertheless, these methods are associated with several limitations, including being time-consuming, requiring significant effort, and neglecting the potential interactions among the variables being investigated. To address these shortcomings, a statistical experimental design has emerged as a valuable approach [27]. Over the past few decades, a response surface methodology (RSM) has gained widespread popularity in industrial and biotechnological processes.…”